


Free Falling

by simpleandpure22



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-08 09:34:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4299756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpleandpure22/pseuds/simpleandpure22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco doesn’t know exactly when all of this started.</p><p>When did he stop looking at Jonas merely as one of his younger teammates? He always thinks that the brunet has a lot of potential, and he did feel bad for him when the loan to Mainz didn’t do him good. But that was it. So, he doesn’t understand this creeping warmth in his chest when he looks at Jonas’s face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh God, I can't believe I really wrote this...
> 
> This is just something I need to get out of my system, because of the few pictures of Jonas and Marco lately. I think they work, and I need some alternative ships for Jonas :)
> 
> It's partly inspired by [this](http://31.media.tumblr.com/8a92a9cc15c8c6275130faf5ebf104c4/tumblr_nr47pyFMzZ1sux1k5o4_400.gif)
> 
> This is quite angsty, though, like how I imagine this pairing to be... And their ship name is so far called Reumann.

Marco doesn’t know exactly when all of this started.

When did he stop looking at Jonas merely as one of his younger teammates? He always thinks that the brunet has a lot of potential, and he did feel bad for him when the loan to Mainz didn’t do him good. But that was it. So, he doesn’t understand this creeping warmth in his chest when he looks at Jonas’s face.

 _Brackel_. It probably started in Brackel after the summer break. Marco was there to talk briefly to one of the new physical trainers the moment he was back from Spain. He didn’t expect to see any of his teammates there, but he was wrong. Jonas was there; in fact he’d already trained there for weeks, whilst everyone else was on holiday.

Marco stopped on his tracks as he saw Jonas on the pitch, on his own, doing a simple training with the ball. The boy really wanted to be here, and it was something Marco could understand, because that was how he felt about the club as well. Jonas saw him and smiled, saying that it was nice to see him again. Marco returned the smile, telling him he’d like to chat but he had to meet Rainer. And later when Marco was done talking to the trainer, Jonas was not on the pitch anymore.

Then they met again at the first day of the official training start, and they somehow always ended up in the same group. Marco thought it was probably because Tuchel wanted them to get along, since it was important that the attacking midfielders have a good chemistry and understanding of each other. Like what he has with Pierre. And previously with Robert and—Mario.

No, it doesn’t hurt anymore, thinking about Mario. After all these years the pain is finally gone. But, now Marco wonders if he’s about to do the same mistake again.

He lifts his hand and gently traces one of Jonas’s eyebrows with a finger. The brunet is fast asleep and looking so _fucking_ beautiful. Why didn’t Marco notice that much sooner? Jonas shifts closer to him in his sleep, and Marco still can’t look away. He supposes it’s not only about how Jonas looks. But there’s just something about him that got under Marco’s skin. He can’t help but appreciate Jonas’s determination. The brunet once told Marco there was no guarantee that he’d get a place in the starting line-up, but he could only try his best, and that he didn’t know any other way.

Marco still doesn’t quite get how they ended up in the same bed. Perhaps because their adrenaline was quite high after winning the match against Kawasaki Frontale tonight. So, when they entered their shared hotel room, Marco let himself stare at Jonas longer than he would usually allow himself to. Jonas noticed that, and Marco didn’t remember who started it, but the gap between them soon became non-existent and hunger took over.

Everything after that happened so fast. One moment Marco was still kissing Jonas, sucking on his bottom lip, the next moment they were on top of each other in the bed, with their limbs tangled and not-so-gentle moans.

Now long after Jonas fell asleep, Marco is still awake. His body is sated, but his mind is restless. Why is this happening again? Yes, Jonas is not Mario, and Marco can never imagine him do what Mario did—not even in a million years. But, he doesn’t think Jonas feels the same way about him. Fuck it; he _knows_ Jonas doesn’t feel the same way about him. Does it stop him from surrendering into his feelings for the brunet, though?

Of course, it doesn’t.

Yeah, when will he ever learn?

~*~

Much to Marco’s relief, things don’t get awkward between him and Jonas in the morning. The brunet woke up before him, and he smiles briefly as he sees that Marco is awake.

“Good morning,” Jonas says, as he’s about to put his t-shirt on.

Marco’s eyes automatically flicker to the brunet’s flat stomach, and he feels something stir in his lower belly as he remembers how he trailed that smooth skin with his lips and tongue, going lower and lower until Jonas squirmed and impatiently pushed Marco’s head down to where he wanted it to be.

The brunet used to be a cute, little one. Since when did he become this bloody irresistible? Just the thought about how needy he was last night is enough to make Marco’s morning half hard-on get a lot worse. He quickly sits up to conceal it, mentally cursing himself. The downside of being single for centuries.

“Good morning,” Marco replies, running his hand through his hair. He looks at Jonas before saying again, “Jonas, about last night…” He pauses, unsure of what he should say.

Jonas stares back at him, with his blue eyes, that are both beautiful and piercing. “It was good,” he says matter-of-factly. “Don’t you think so?”

Whatever reaction Marco was expecting from him, it’s certainly not this. Seeing Marco’s puzzled expression, Jonas says again, “It was a good sex, wasn’t it?”

As usual, Jonas doesn’t complicate things. It was just _sex,_ a great one, but nevertheless it was nothing more than that. At least for Jonas. Marco clears his throat and says, “Yeah. But I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

“Why should they be?” Jonas shrugs, now sitting on his bed to wear his socks. He looks up at Marco again and says, “You wanted it, I wanted it. We’re cool,” before adding, “Right?”

“…Right,” Marco finds himself say.

Jonas rises from the bed and walks towards the door. “I’m going for a quick run. I’ll see you later.” Marco nods automatically, watching Jonas until he disappears behind the door.

Exhaling soundly, Marco throws the covers aside and gets to his feet. Well, at least Jonas didn’t act differently around him. It could have been worse. He walks to the bathroom and starts the shower. He needs it.

~*~

The day passes in a flash. They spend most of the morning doing interviews and stuff like that. And then drive to the airport to catch the plane. In the plane, Jonas sits with Papa, and Marco with Pierre; just like they normally do. Yet, Marco can’t help stealing glances at Jonas a few times, across the aisle. He suspects Pierre notices that, but if he does, he doesn’t say anything about it.

As soon as they arrive in Singapore, they’re being escorted to the hotel. Marco stops to give some autograph to the fans, and let them take pictures. After a quick dinner, they’re going directly to training. This time he and Jonas are in different teams. Marco tries to suppress the disappointment he feels as he grabs his vest. _Get yourself together, Marco, it’s just a fucking training._

He tries. He really does. But, every now and then his eyes are searching for Jonas, and it’s resulted in him doing something incorrectly or mishearing some instructions. Tuchel isn’t happy with his poor performance, but he says he tolerates it because of the fatigue. For tomorrow, though, he says he won’t accept any excuses.

Marco thanks him and walks to get a water bottle. He’s the only one who does that; the rest of his teammates are still on the pitch. He takes another gulp from the bottle.

“It’s Jonas, isn’t it?”

Marco almost coughs on the water. He turns around and finds Pierre standing near him, with a water bottle in his hand. His tone isn’t scrutinising or curious; just… concerned.

“Yeah,” Marco mumbles. It’s no use trying to hide it from him, he’ll find out in the end. Besides, he’s one of Marco’s best friends. He knows Pierre won’t be judgemental about this.

The look Pierre gives him is full of understanding—and sympathy. “I thought he’s with Erik,” he says, which is something Marco doesn’t want to hear.

“Not anymore, it seems,” Marco replies curtly. He doesn’t know what has happened between Jonas and Erik, but they don’t appear to be as close as they used to be. “Erik has ignored him all week.”

He hears Pierre sigh. “They are young. Maybe they have a bit of a fall out. But, I think they’ll be back together again.”

Marco places his bottle back in the container, a bit harder than necessary. “Maybe,” he says. “Or maybe not.”

Pierre doesn’t reply. For a stretched second, he merely looks at Marco, before finally says, “I don’t want you to get hurt, Marco.”

He really means it. As the good friend that he is. Marco wishes he could keep himself from falling, but he knows that it’s too late. “I’ll be fine,” Marco assures him. “It’s a bad habit, isn’t it? I should stop falling for a teammate,” he says jokingly. But Pierre doesn’t laugh. Marco forces himself to smile. “I’ll be fine, really.”

Pierre doesn’t have a chance to reply because Shinji is coming, followed by Gonzalo, Julian and a few more. So, the conversation stops there. But what he said about Erik and Jonas remains in Marco’s mind.

~*~

Later that evening, they go to the rooftop bar for some VIP dinner event. Jonas is sitting on the other side of the table between Sven and Papa. Marco is pleased, because he can see him, without needing to steal glances or anything. Once when their eyes meet, Jonas smiles at him, inevitably sending a weird sensation to Marco’s belly, something he hasn’t felt in a long time.

Then Erik comes in, together with Mats and Hendrik. The blond is sitting at the edge of the long table. Marco can’t help but notice that Jonas’s demeanour changes the moment he sees Erik. He becomes a bit tense, and the playful glint in his eyes disappears.

Marco tries to ignore it. Maybe the brunet is still affected by their fall out; after all they used to be so close. The food arrives and everybody starts to tuck in. The steak tastes really nice, and Marco enjoys it. Then as he reaches out for his water glass, he looks up. He immediately wishes he didn’t.

Jonas is looking at Erik, in a way that makes almost all of Marco’s appetite gone. He never looks at Marco that way. And he probably never will. Marco suddenly feels sick. Who is he kidding? Pierre was right. There is too much history between Jonas and Erik.

_They are young… they’ll be back together again._

He forces himself to laugh with the others as Olli who sits next to him tells a funny story, without actually getting what the story is about. Then after dinner, he heads to the balcony, watching the beautiful view of the city underneath, wishing the night to be over soon.

~*~

Marco’s just about to press the floor number on the lift when someone steps in. Somehow he’s not surprised that the person is Jonas. “Going back to the room?” he asks the brunet, who nods. Marco pushes number 12 and a second after the door closes. The room arrangement is still the same as in Japan, which means that he and Jonas are once again roommates.

Neither of them speaks for a moment as the lift moves slowly. Marco glances at Jonas. The brunet’s face is unreadable, but Marco can feel that something is bothering him. “Do you mind me asking what is going on between you and Erik?” he asks carefully.

Jonas turns and looks at him, as if considering if he should answer or not. He finally shrugs. “I have no idea. I thought we were good, but he’s been acting like I’m invisible. I don’t get it.”

Marco doesn’t know what to say. “Maybe he’s still adjusting himself. Distance can change everything,” he says.

“Like you and Mario?” Jonas asks softly, his eyes fixed on him.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Marco replies, never breaking the eye contact. “Are you okay?”

Jonas smiles faintly at him. “I’m good.” Something flickers in his eyes, something that makes Marco’s heart beat faster. “Thanks for your concern, Marco.”

He is so… beautiful. How could Erik let someone like him go? Marco would never do that; would never be able to do that.

Marco steps forward to close the distance. Jonas doesn’t flinch or move back, and Marco takes that as a good sign. He lifts his hand and places it on Jonas’s face, gently stroking his cheek with a thumb. The brunet’s eyes flutter close. And before Marco can stop himself, he leans down and presses their lips together.

Jonas’s lips are as soft as he remembers. And the moment Marco’s tongue touches his bottom lip, the brunet parts his lips. They pull back as the lift stops at their floor. Marco stares at the younger boy, still somehow catching his breath. Jonas says nothing, but he takes Marco’s hand and leads him out of the lift, towards the corridor to their room.

As soon as they enter the room, Jonas kisses him again, trapping his body against the door. Marco wants this, but something is still bothering him. “Jonas, wait…” he breaths between kisses. Jonas looks up inquiringly. “What about Erik?”

Jonas is silent for a second before saying, “It doesn’t matter.”

“But—“ Marco still tries, but Jonas silences him with a kiss, holding Marco’s head with his hands.

“I want this,” Jonas whispers against his lips. He pulls back a bit, taking Marco’s hand and places it on the front of his jeans. “I want _you_.”

He’s so hard, making it impossible for Marco to think straight. He pulls Jonas’s t-shirt up, quickly followed by his own. And the rest is history.

In the back of his mind, there’s a nagging thought. The moment Erik changes his mind, Jonas is going to come back to him, in the blink of an eye. Marco knows that. Yet, he can’t stop himself. Isn’t it better to have Jonas for a short while than not having him at all?

Maybe… just maybe, Jonas has some feelings for him, too, however little they are. Marco wants to believe that. He looks down at Jonas’s blue eyes, and the brunet smiles at him. Marco leans down to claim his mouth once again.

At least Jonas is his for one more night.

That’s what matters now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It should’ve stopped, shouldn’t it?
> 
> Jonas casts a glance at Marco, who’s talking to Auba across the pitch. This thing between Marco and him should’ve stopped by now. He thought that the moment they were back in Dortmund, everything would be back to how it used to be, as in Marco would live his own life and so would he.
> 
> But, so far he has been wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I wrote a second chapter of this. Because the more I thought about it, the more I felt that it needed a proper ending. 
> 
> So, here it is.

It should’ve stopped, shouldn’t it?

Jonas casts a glance at Marco, who’s talking to Auba across the pitch. This _thing_ between Marco and him should’ve stopped by now. It’s understandable how they were drawn to each other in Japan, and later Singapore, since the situation sort of brought them closer. He thought that the moment they were back in Dortmund, everything would be back to how it used to be, as in Marco would live his own life and so would he.

But, so far he has been wrong. Marco is still as caring towards him as he was during that tour. He still gives Jonas those lingering glances, touching him whenever he has the chance. Of course, he remains careful, not wanting to attract their teammates’ attention, but even they seem to have noticed by now. Or so Jonas feels.

Jonas doesn’t understand. Has he become a habit Marco can’t shake off? Or does the blond simply like this little comfort they offer to each other? Marco is probably still affected by the way he and Mario drifted apart, and that’s why he needs someone. Just like Jonas was—okay, _is_ —affected by how Erik turned his back on him. It still hurts, especially when he’s on his own. Jonas takes a deep breath and averts his eyes to the ball on his feet. Well, maybe he needs this as much as Marco does, after all.

“Do you have plans for tonight?” A gentle voice from behind him startles Jonas.

“Not really, no” Jonas says, trying to sound casual, despite his heartbeat just gets significantly faster, for whatever reason.

He doesn’t even need to look to know that there’s a smile across Marco’s lips. “I’ll drop by then,” the blond says, brushing a hand on Jonas’s back, just so slightly that Jonas thinks he’s imagining it.

“Sure,” is all Jonas can say. He watches Marco’s retreating back as he walks towards Lukasz and chuckles at something Lukasz tells him.

Maybe, Marco has become a habit he can’t shake off as well.

Not that he minds.

~*~

Marco really comes to Jonas’s flat that evening. They’re having a pizza together and then watching one of the Die Hard films on DVD. Jonas is focusing on it so much that it takes him about fifteen minutes into the movie to notice that Marco is not really watching. His eyes are fixed on his phone, and he seems to be oblivious of everything else.

“Marco, you’re not watching,” Jonas says, pausing the DVD. “What is it you’re doing?”

Marco looks over at him, giving him a little grin. “It’s the BVB Fantasy Manager app. I’m bidding on myself. There’s still more than ten minutes left, I’m afraid the price will go up like mad in the last minute. I hope I have enough money.”

“You’re bidding on _yourself_?” Jonas asks in amusement. That’s cute. Marco is often so cute. He’s starting to get used to have him around; it’s not good.

“Yeah, I want a full BVB line up. I haven’t got you, yet, but I will,” the blond replies, looking into Jonas’s eyes. “I will get you.”

Somehow it makes Jonas feel some warmth in his chest, which is ridiculous, because he knows Marco doesn’t mean it literally. But, still… Sometimes he can’t help but wonder what exactly Marco feels about him. And at the same time, he’s unsure if he wants to know the answer.

Jonas forces himself to smile. “I’ll leave you to it then. You’ve watched this movie, anyway, right?”

“Yeah.” Marco nods, before looking back at his phone.

So, Jonas tries to watch the movie again, but somehow he doesn’t really feel like it anymore.

~*~

The days pass quickly, and the training camp in Bad Ragaz is starting. Much to his dismay, Jonas is roomed with—Erik. Well, he’s just hoping things won’t be too awkward between them. It wasn’t too hard so far, because Erik has been avoiding him since he was back to Dortmund. But it’ll be harder to do when they’re roommates. If only he was roomed with Marco instead… Wait, no, what was he thinking? He can’t—shouldn’t—already feel this dependency on Marco. He’ll have to deal with Erik sooner or later.

Better sooner than later.

The first two days, Jonas hardly sees Erik, apart from on the pitch. The boy sleeps and wakes up before he does. And during breakfast or dinner he’ll sit far far away with Julian or Kevin Kampl. His behaviour hurt Jonas so much at the start. He couldn’t stop wondering where things went wrong. Or if he had done something wrong. But lately, it doesn’t affect him that much anymore. Not like before. His heart still aches whenever he thinks of how they used to be. But if Erik doesn’t want him, there’s nothing he can do about it.

Jonas can only move on. Like how he’s moved on from his disastrous loan year, or his injuries. He knows no other way.

And when he’s with Marco, it’s hard to think of anything else, let alone Erik. Marco is always able to make him laugh. And although it’s not easy to really be alone these past few days, he’ll give Jonas long kisses when they’re finally alone, pulling him into an empty equipment room, making Jonas crave for more. He doesn’t even want to think what he’ll do once this thing between them is over. He supposes he’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

It’s also getting trickier to hide this from their teammates. Quite a few of them have seemed to suspect that there’s something going on between Jonas and Marco. Yesterday Schmelle caught them when they went out of the equipment room. And whilst the defender didn’t say anything about it, Jonas couldn’t help feeling that Schmelle had his eyes on him more than usual. Then the other day Ilkay entered the room when Marco was having his arm around Jonas’s neck, pulling him close. Jonas didn’t know how much he saw. He just hoped that Ilkay perceived that as a playful, friendly gesture. Like what Marco does to Auba all the time.

Perhaps, he should talk to Marco about it. But what if it makes Marco end whatever it is between them? Jonas doesn’t want to call it a relationship, because it isn’t. Although sometimes… it feels like one.

Today in training, Jonas feels that Erik is watching him. But he quickly looks away when Jonas turns to him. What is it now? Jonas is tired of whatever game Erik is playing. He can’t stop caring about the boy, because Erik has been a part of him for a long time, but even his patience has a limit.

When he retires to his room after dinner, Jonas is surprised to find Erik still awake. He’s sitting on his bed, his body rigid. Something is bothering him. But, Jonas is not going to be the one who asks. He can play this avoid game as well as Erik if he wants to. So, he strides directly to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. When he’s back to the room later, Erik is still sitting in the same position.

“Is it true that you’re having a fling with Marco?” the blond is finally being the one breaking the silence.

As much as Jonas wants to snap at him, telling him it’s none of his business, he can’t. Erik looks hurt, and Jonas can’t do that to him. “It’s not a fling,” he replies after a long second.

“Then what is it?”

Jonas looks at him. “I don’t know,” he says truthfully. He really doesn’t. “Why do you care, anyway? You don’t seem to bother about me so far,” he adds, before he can stop himself.

The stunned expression on Erik’s face makes Jonas instantly regret saying it. But it’s too late to take it back. Erik rises up from the bed, walking towards him in fast steps. “You don’t know, Jonas. You have no idea what I’ve been through,” he says with such ferocity that it makes Jonas wince. Erik doesn’t stop there. “I thought I’d go insane during your loan. It was so fucking hard.”

“…But I’m here now,” Jonas says quietly. “I’m back.”

Erik shakes his head. “I can’t feel like that again. I _don’t_ want to feel like that ever again. You affect me so much; it scares the hell out of me.”

Jonas doesn’t know what to say. Before he opens his mouth to say something, Erik rushes forward and hugs him, startling Jonas. But he instinctively wraps his arms around the blond. “I’m sorry…” Erik murmurs against his ear. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

They stay like that for a while, until Erik slowly pulls back and stares at Jonas. Then he leans down and kisses him.

Jonas has thought about how their first kiss would be, many times before, but this isn’t how he imagined it to be. Erik’s lips are soft and delicate against his own, and kissing him does feel good. But at the back of his mind, Jonas can’t help thinking about—Marco. It’s ridiculous, because they’re not in a relationship whatsoever. So, why does Jonas feel guilty about kissing Erik behind Marco’s back?

“Can we start over, Jonas?” Erik asks softly as the necessity for air makes them part.

Staring deeply into the blond’s eyes, Jonas can see that he means it. A few weeks ago, he’d say yes without thinking. He and Erik have always been more than friends, although neither of them was willing to cross the line, the feeling is always there. But, now Jonas isn’t so sure anymore.

 _This is what you’ve always wanted, Jonas..._ Marco will understand. _It’s not like he loves you, anyway._

“Okay.”

The smile on Erik’s face makes Jonas thinks that, perhaps, he’s made the right decision.

~*~

Jonas wants to tell Marco as soon as possible, not wanting to risk him hearing from someone else. He’s got the opportunity the next day as they’re both assigned to collect the balls together after training. Marco gives him a smile, making it harder for Jonas to break it to him.

But, he has to. So, when Marco puts the last ball into the net, Jonas blurts out, “I talked to Erik last night.” That gets the blond’s attention.

“Okay. And?” Marco asks.

Jonas takes a deep breath. “And we kind of agreed to start over.”

Marco looks at him for a second before saying, “It’s good to hear.” His face doesn’t give away whatever he’s feeling, but he sounds pretty neutral.

Jonas can’t explain the pang of disappointment that begins to creep in. Did he really think that Marco would be jealous? It’s such a stupid thought. Marco definitely never loves him, not the way he loves Mario. And Jonas is not in love with him, either. Erik is the one he wants; he always has been, right?

“I don’t think we can go on with our—“ Jonas pauses, unsure of how to phrase it. “With this thing between us…”

Marco seems to get what he’s trying to say. “I understand,” he says, reaching out to stroke Jonas’s shoulder. “Just be happy, okay?” And for a split second Jonas thinks that he sees something in Marco’s eyes. But when he looks closer, it’s gone. His eyes were most likely playing a trick on him. Or he was seeing what he wanted to see.

“Thank you,” Jonas says.

Marco nods before tying the net and walking away.

~*~

It goes well with Erik, a lot better than Jonas initially thought it would. It feels like the old days, where it was mostly the two of them. It’s good, really. Had it not been for Jonas’s constant thoughts about Marco, everything would be perfect. But, he doesn’t allow himself to dwell on that. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s over now. And he has Erik.

“Want to watch a movie in the room?” Erik asks after dinner.

Jonas smiles at him. “Sounds great. But I need to finish this postcard for my mum first. Go ahead, I’ll be there soon.” Erik nods and leaves.

The moment Jonas finishes writing the postcard, the common room is pretty much empty, except for him, Auba and Jeremy. And now Jeremy is walking out of the room with his eyes glued to his phone, leaving Jonas with Auba.

“It’s for my mum,” Jonas tells him with a smile as Auba looks at him.

Auba smiles back, walking towards him. “How cute,” he says, chuckling, making Jonas laugh as well. For a moment they say nothing as Jonas puts the stamp on the postcard. There, it’s ready to be posted tomorrow. “So, you and Erik are back together?” Auba asks carefully.

Jonas nods. “Yeah.”

“Cool,” Auba says, pausing for a second before asking softly, “And Marco is okay about it?” He doesn’t sound patronising, just—concerned.

Of course he knows; he’s Marco’s best friend in the team after all. “He seems fine with it,” Jonas says. “Why shouldn’t he be? It’s not like he’s in love with me. We all know he still loves Mario, right?”

Auba doesn’t reply.

His silence triggers an alarm in Jonas’s mind. “Right?” he asks again. Auba still says nothing, but his eyes reveal everything. No… This can’t be true. No way. Jonas’s mouth suddenly feels dry, and his heart has sunk deep in his stomach. “Marco’s falling for me…” he murmurs, mostly to himself.

“I think he’ll be fine, though,” Auba says reassuringly. “He knows you and Erik have a lot of history together.”

“Yeah,” Jonas replies, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Marco has feelings for him. Auba pats his back and says he’ll go back to his room, wishing him a good night. Jonas nods absently.

What is he going to do now?

~*~

Erik must have sensed right away that something is wrong, the moment he sees Jonas’s face as he enters the room. “What happened?” he asks, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”

Jonas stares at him blankly. How is he going to explain this to Erik?

“Jonas, what’s wrong?” Erik asks again.

“Marco…” Jonas starts, shaking his head. “He’s in love with me.”

Erik looks taken aback, but he looks at Jonas and asks softly, “And it affects you?”

“Of course it does,” Jonas says. “All this time I thought he still hadn’t gotten over Mario. If I knew I would—“ he stops. He would do what? Would it change anything?

“Maybe all this time you’ve had feelings for him, too,” Erik says quietly.

Jonas looks up at him. “I’m sorry, Erik.”

This time it’s Erik who shakes his head. “No, it’s my fault. I ruined our chance.”

“The loan ruined it,” Jonas says, taking a deep breath. Everything was fine before. The loan took a lot of important things from him; a year of his career, his place in the team, Erik…

“No, Jonas. _I_ was the one letting that loan ruin it. I should’ve fought harder for you,” he pauses, biting on his bottom lip. “It is my fault.”

Jonas doesn’t know what to say. He steps forward and hugs Erik, burying his face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar scent. “I’m sorry…”

They stay like that for a while, until Jonas pulls away and whispers, “Let’s just go to bed.” Erik merely nods and soon they lie under the covers in the bed. Jonas reaches for Erik’s hand, grasping it. They never need a lot of words to convey what they’re feeling. Erik will always be special to him. Jonas hopes it comes across, in the way he’s holding the blond’s hand. Erik gently squeezes Jonas’s hand back.

Maybe, it does come across after all.

~*~

Jonas must have raised his hand to knock on the door for at least three times now. But he always stops himself at the last second. It’s still ten minutes to eight in the morning, perhaps it’s too early. Although he’s fairly sure that both Marco and Miki are up. His problem is solved when the door suddenly opens. Miki is standing there, looking surprised. “Jonas, what are you doing there? Come on in.”

“I... wonder if I can talk to Marco,” Jonas says.

Miki pulls him inside the room. “Sure, he’s just done showering.”

Marco appears from the bathroom, wearing a pair of black shorts and a yellow t-shirt, his hair is damp. “Jonas?” he says as soon as he sees Jonas.

“Then I’ll leave you guys to it. I’m meeting Neven for some table tennis.” And before neither Marco nor Jonas replies, Miki walks out of the room and closes the door behind him.

“Is everything okay?” Marco asks.

Now, how should Jonas tell him? He looks at Marco, until the blond asks again, sounding a bit concerned this time, “Are you okay, Jonas?”

“I know it,” Jonas blurts out. “I know you have feelings for me.” Marco’s eyes slightly widen, but he doesn’t say anything. It’s enough to confirm everything. Jonas says again, “Although I don’t understand why—why me of all people.”

Marco is still calm when he speaks, but there’s sincerity in his tone. “How could I not?” He walks towards Jonas, reaching out to touch his face. “How could I not?” he repeats softly. Jonas can only stare at him, transfixed by the look in Marco’s eyes.

“But I thought you were with Erik,” Marco says again.

Jonas gently shakes his head. “It didn’t feel right. We’ve lost our chance, and now everything isn’t the same anymore,” he says.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Marco says, sounding genuinely sorry.

“…It’s also because of you,” Jonas says, holding his gaze, and before Marco does anything, Jonas pulls his head down and kisses him.

It still feels right. And some familiar warmth begins to spread through his chest. When they pull back, Marco is smiling at him. “I’m not the only one who’s falling,” he says.

Jonas returns the smile. “No. You’re not.”

_We both are._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was really hard for me to write, trust me. It's also against my Durmann heart to end it like this. But, Marco finally gets the happy ending that he deserves. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this made me somehow sad. But, yeah, it has to end like that.
> 
> I'm sorry.


End file.
